Speedy goalscoring defender ‘being watched’ by Arsenal – Transfer fee ‘freely negotiable’ in summer

VfL Wolfsburg defender Ridle Baku is ‘being watched’ by Arsenal after impressing with the German side this season.

That’s according to SportBILD, who say the Gunners are one of several sides who have the 24-year-old ‘under observation’ thanks to his performances.

The newspaper explains that Baku has a contract with Wolfsburg until 2025 but it remains to be seen whether he will reach that date with the club.

That’s because he is being watched by Arsenal and Villarreal among other clubs after impressing for the Bundesliga side with a tally of five goals and one assist in 26 games in the league this season.

They like the fact that he is an ‘offensive and dynamic winger’ and also a goalscoring threat, as evidenced by his numbers this year playing predominantly as a right-back.

A further key trait is that since a move from Mainz in 2020, he has managed 92 games out of a possible 92, 82 of which has seen him in the starting 11.

That is something which presumably suits Arsenal given they’ve had problems at right-back this season when trying to cover for Ben White.

At the moment Baku is valued at around €13m but his free would be ‘freely negotiable’ as there is no exit clause in his current contract.

Thus, he could end up costing much more than that if the Gunners or any other suitors, such as Villarreal and RB Leipzig, decide to make a move in the summer.